The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-07-09
THEN AND NOW.

II Is better TO laugh than to cry over
some things. and often even the grayest
matters have a ludicrous side that no.
body, with any sense of humor, can IAN
70 see and smile at Our politicians nave
been abused, scoired and jeered at with
out mercy for their turnings and iWlst-
mos upon the State debt question, and
every day, with reference to this subject,
they furnish fresh food for mirth or
wrath or both. Yet these dOings of the
noliticians lack the element of surprise ;
Tor at Is their nature to" do just so. 1t
Is only when we find portion of our
respected and reverend clergy engaged
I'm the same antics. on the same ga. stionr
that our establishment and regret are lully
aroused. with no relief except IN the
ridiculous aspect presented by college
of dfvines trying 20 dance with ring OF
political partners.
We all remember how, at the first or
ganized steps Of "readiustment,' con-
Siderable number of our clergymen, some
of them eminent, publicly opposed the
movement as immoral, dishonest, sinful.
and one which religion commanded all
her yotaries to resist IL was not mere
political issue, they said, but one which
imr eratively invoked every honest ana
Christian man and woman 20 battle FOR
the faith. Pious duty, 1t was alleged
called the pulpit into the political arena
and on every hand we heard that read
iustmeni was morally wrong, and mat
that which is morally wrong cannot be
politically right.
The parsOn in politics is never an eddy
ing spectacle; yet who could do less than
Give due credit 10 the worthy preachers
who dragged their robes into the dirty
arena Of politics at the stern behest OF
conscience and duty They volunteered
"for the war" against what they declared
to be a moral wrong-a wrong which
could norD be politically right. But
where are these heroes now Have they
all been martyred I'm the good cause
OR have they sheathcd their spiritual
swords and amended the moral law, so as
to say Reimbursement is immoral, and
can never be politically righi,-or h0ydly
ecrf"
It is certain that these gentlemen dis
appeared from the scene in the u OF
1888 like sOra after hard frost The
"debtpayers' capitulated that year al
Lynchburg. and "honor and honesty as
a motto and slogan, was declared TO De
flat. stale an unproitable-espccially
improbable. Nothing better was 10 be
looked for i'm mere politicians, --Or hardly
ever: but among the iaithless surely we
had right to expect the parsons TO be
faithful The moral law is not made
afresh by every new political platform,
and we DO not commonly look to such 70
platform for guidance I'm Christian creed
and practice. And yet the Lynchburg
platform of 1883 seems 20 have acted
upon our aah-readiusier diyines as new
revelation or at least revised edition OF
the decalogue. They, 100, "acquiesce. I'm
dishonesty for silence gives consent
il was bad enough for Us 90 De On the
losing minority against adjustment but
we were consolcd by being in sanity ass
ISOLATION if we did not rush with the
multitude 90 do evil. our case Is indeed
hard now with even the good Samart0ns
giving MS the go.by and passing over to
the other side. Yet we are reminded of
Peter. He first drew his sword; then
denied then went out and wcpt Mean
while we prefer TO laugh, to grin and
bear the desertion Of our clerical breth-
rem. and to read the revised version of
the New Testament, lssl-declining TO
accept the Lynchburg version of 1883.
And thus reading, we find the following
good jokes
Thou knowest the commandments
Do not kill DO not commit adultery.
Do not steal. DO not bear false witness.
Do nat defrod. Honor thy father and
mother
III therefore ye have not been faithful
in the unrighteous mammon, who will
commit TO your trust the true riches and
If We have not been faithful In th.twhich
IS another who will give you that which
Is your own. No servant can serve Two
masters; for either he viii hate The one,
and love the other OF else he will hold
10 one and despise the other. We canpot
serve God and mamm0n